„2014 the New Apostolic Church was celebrating on hundred years of existence in Austria.
Last autumn a new buildng fort he church community in Vienna-Penzing was completed. With this house of God Veit Aschenbrenner Architekten (winner of an architectural competition) have placed a symbol that it is impossible to overlook at a corner site on the urban periphery.
In 2011 the NAK decided to replace an existing church in Vienna-Penzing datin from 1972 that was far too large and in need of restoration with a samaller new biulding that would include a multi-purpose hall, teaching rooms and a coafé. The aim was to meet the real needs oft he present-day community from whom a meeting room with seating for 160 people was sufficient.
„Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church“ (Matthew 16, 18-19): this gospel verse provided the leitmotif for design oft he chruch, which stands, solid as a rock, at the road junction. „This homogeneous building volume also makes a statement in terms of urban planing. This specific form. Remeniscent of a bell tower, immediately awakenes interest. From outside the church seems hermetic, but inside it reveals itselfe to be very open.“ (…)
The church presents itself as a monolithic volume of grey lightweight concrete with a highly unusual form. The NAC does not use church towers in ist buildings, instead the eastern edge oft he building projects 13 meters into the sky. In this way it clearly proclaims ist role as a special building and also places a symbol in urban design terms.
This tall edge makes an important contribution tot he atmpsphere of this house of God:inclined glazing runs along one side o fit; the slightly inclined altar wall with the plain cross in the east, which is more than ten meters high, is bathed in an almost mystical, other wordly brightness by the sunlight entering the southwest. This gives the religious services on Thursdy evening and Sunday morning a strongly ceremonial quality. During services in the eveningthen church glows like a latern in the darkness. With subtle drama the tall, introverted space, which widens slightly in a trapezoid shape towards the altar area where it reaches ist greatest hight, carefully creates a calm mood of dignitied majesty. The noble shimmering surface oft he concrete acquiresa warm shade from the daylight that enterst he space.“, Isabella Marboe, Architektur Aktuell 418 419
